Sopwith Triplane Typhoon
A Beginners Guide Links About Me Version History

Bristol Prier Monoplanes

<< Return to Bristol

For a description of the format and data included in Production Tables, see here.

Contents

Type Description
Production Details

Type Description

  • P.1
  • Single seat tractor monoplane, with a fabric-covered wire-braced wood box section fuselage and parallel-chord wings, designed by Pierre Prier was an experienced Bleriot pilot and a qualified engineer. It featured Bleriot-type warping wings, with two tubular steel spars filled with wood, on to which the ribs were threaded and located by clips so that they were free to rotate round the spars for warping. The front spars were longer than the rear, giving a forward rake to the tip. The tail unit comprised a balanced rudder and a single balanced elevator without any fixed surfaces. A tubular steel pylon mounted on the top longerons in front of the cockpit supported the upper bracing wires, while a second pylon, below the fuselage to the rear of the cockpit. supported the lower set of wires.The undercarriage had a pair of wheels on an axle mounted onto a pair of forward-projecting sprung skids. A large sprung tailskid was mounted under the rear fuselageOne 50 h.p. Gnome powerplant.

Specification
Span Length Height Wing Area Empty Wt Max AUW Cruise Speed Maximum Speed Range Service Ceiling
30 ft 2 in 24 ft 6 in 9 ft 9 in 166 sq ft 640 lb 820 lb 68 mph/ 59 kn
9.19 m 7.47 m 2.97 m 15.42 m2 290 kg 372 kg 109 km/h

  • Single Seat School
  • (Advertised by Bristol as the 'Popular') Advanced training development of the P.1. One 35 h.p. Anzani powerplant.

Specification
Span Length Height Wing Area Empty Wt Max AUW Cruise Speed Maximum Speed Range Service Ceiling
30 ft 2 in 24 ft 6 in 9 ft 9 in 166 sq ft 620 lb 780 lb 58 mph/ 50 kn
9.19 m 7.47 m 2.97 m 15.42 m2 281 kg 354 kg 93 km/h

  • Two Seat
  • (Advertised by Bristol as the 'Military') Tandem two seat development of the single seater. All steel parts were burnished and 'blued' to resist rust, aluminium panels were polished to mirror finish and the decking round the cockpits and the wing tread-plates were panelled in plywood. The seats were suspended on wires and, like the cockpit rims, were upholstered in pigskin. A cellulose acetate window was fitted in the sloping front bulkhead to give the passenger a downward view and a sketching board, map case and stowages for binoculars and vacuum flask were also provided. Each cockpit had a Clift compass and the cowling was extended well over the engine to prevent oil being thrown back. One 50 h.p. Gnome powerplant

Specification
Span Length Height Wing Area Empty Wt Max AUW Cruise Speed Maximum Speed Range Service Ceiling
32 ft 9 in 24 ft 6 in 9 ft 9 in 185 sq ft 650 lb 1000 lb 65 mph/ 56 kn
9.98 m 7.47 m 2.97 m 17.19 m2 295 kg 454 kg 105 km/h

  • Prier-Dickson
  • (Also known as the Two-seat long body) Improved two seater with longer fuselage and increased span. It also featured a fixed tailplane and a hinged elevator. One 70 h.p. Gnome powerplant

Specification
Span Length Height Wing Area Empty Wt Max AUW Cruise Speed Maximum Speed Range Service Ceiling
34 ft 26 ft 9 ft 9 in 200 sq ft 660 lb 1080 lb 65 mph/ 56 kn
10.36 m 7.92 m 2.97 m 18.58 m2 299 kg 490 kg 105 km/h

  • Two Seat
    (Side-by-Side)
  • (Also known as the Prier-Coanda monoplane and advertised by Bristol as the 'Sociable') Developed by Henri Coanda, this was a side by side seating development of the Prier-Dickson. One 70 h.p. Gnome powerplant

Specification
Span Length Height Wing Area Empty Wt Max AUW Cruise Speed Maximum Speed Range Service Ceiling
35 ft 6 in 26 ft 9 ft 9 in 200 sq ft 660 lb 1080 lb 65 mph/ 56 kn
10.82 m 7.92 m 2.97 m 18.58 m2 299 kg 490 kg 105 km/h

Production Details

C/n Initial
Registration		 Type Notes
34 aircraft built by British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, between 1911 and 1912.
46 P.1 Built for the 1911 Gordon Bennett Cup Race at Eastchurch but flew too late to compete. Later converted to Single Seat School
56 P.1 Built for the 1911 Circuit of Britain competition.
57 P.1 Built for the 1911 Circuit of Britain competition. Later converted to Single Seat School
58 Two Seat To Bristol Flying School, Larkhill.
68 Single Seat School Retained by Bristol.
71 Two Seat Bristol demonstration machine.
72 Two Seat To the Spanish School of Military Aviation.
73 Two Seat To Bristol Flying School, Larkhill.
74 Two Seat Handed over to the Deutsche Bristol-Werke in March 1912.
75 256 Two Seat Ordered by the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers. Delivered February 1912. Converted June 1912 to Prier-Dickson Type.
76 Two Seat To Italian Government, delivered April 1912. See Note 1.
81 Single Seat School To the Spanish School of Military Aviation, delivered April 1912.
82 Prier-Dickson To Bristol Flying School, Larkhill; to the Spanish School of Military Aviation.
83 Two Seat To the Spanish School of Military Aviation, delivered April 1912. Crashed, replaced by c/n 82.
84 Two Seat To Italian Government, delivered June 1912.. See Note 1.
85 Prier-Dickson To the German Government, delivered June 1912.
86 Prier-Dickson To the Turkish Government, delivered July 1912.
87 Prier-Dickson To the Bulgarian Government, delivered September 1912.
88 Prier-Dickson To the Turkish Government, delivered July 1912.
89 Prier-Dickson To Italian Government, delivered August 1912.
90 Two Seat To Italian Government, delivered September 1912.
91 261 Prier-Dickson Ordered by the RFC. Delivered August 1912.
94 Two Seat Largely a rebuild of c/n 71; to Bristol Flying School, Brooklands.
95 Single Seat School To Italian Government, delivered May 1912.
96 Single Seat School To Italian Government, delivered May 1912.
97 Single Seat School To Bristol Flying School, Larkhill.
98 Single Seat School To Bristol Flying School, Larkhill.
102 Single Seat School To Bristol Flying School, Larkhill in November 1912.
107 Two Seat (S-by-S) To the Deutsche Bristol-Werke in June 1912.
108 Two Seat (S-by-S) To Bristol Flying School, Larkhill in October 1912.
109 Two Seat (S-by-S) To the Deutsche Bristol-Werke in December 1912 as spare airframe.
130 Prier-Dickson Crashed on test flight; rebuilt as c/n 155
155 Prier-Dickson To Bristol Flying School, Larkhill.
156 Prier-Dickson To Deutsche Bristol-Werke.
Total Production  34

Production Summary

All Aircraft By Type
Type Built New Conv Canc'd Total
P.1 3 3
Single Seat School 7 (2) 9
Two Seat 11 11
Prier-Dickson 10 (1) 11
Two Seat (Side-by-Side) 3 3
34 (3) 0

Notes

  1. Equipped for alternative use as a long-range single-seater, with a combined auxiliary fuel and oil tank to fit the front seat and a waterproof cover for the front cockpit.

Production References

  1. Bristol Aircraft Since 1910, C.H. Barnes (Putnam, 1964, 1970 and 1988)

Page Revision History

Revised at Version 2.0.0
  • Table completely rewritten, but content unchanged
  • Improved Type Description and Added Specification details.